Paul Magloire, Former Haitian Ruler, 94

Published: July 16, 2001

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, July 15—
The former military dictator Paul Magloire, who ruled Haiti from 1950 to 1956, has died, family members told local radio. He was 94.

Mr. Magloire, a longtime resident of New York, died late Thursday night at his suburban residence in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, said his son, Raymond Magloire.

While serving as an army general, Mr. Magloire ousted President Dumarsais Estimé in 1950.

The early years of his rule were what many consider Haiti's golden age -- when tourism was at its peak and when Haitian coffee exports drew high prices.

But a 1954 hurricane inflicted heavy damage on the economy, and Mr. Magloire was ousted by the military two years later. He went into exile in New York, returning to Haiti only after the 29-year father-and-son dynasty of the Duvaliers ended in 1986.

He served as an adviser to Lt. Gen. Henry Namphy, who ruled Haiti briefly in 1988. After that he kept a low profile, never making public comments and appearing seldom in public.

Mr. Magloire never published memoirs, and had gone blind in recent years.